Ford Introduces Tri-Flex Fuel Truck Concept

8 January 2006

Ford used the North American Internal Auto Show in Detroit as the venue to introduce a tri-flex fuel truck concept that runs on gasoline, E85 ethanol blend or hydrogen.

The F-250 Super Chief, which took its design cues from the Super Chief locomotive, uses the same Ford 6.8-liter V-10 Triton engine deployed in the company’s E450 H2ICE trucks. (Earlier post.)

Click to enlarge.

A supercharger provides an 18 psi boost for hydrogen fuel only. When running on hydrogen, the supercharged V-10 provides up to 12% fuel economy improvement on an energy equivalent basis versus a non-supercharged gasoline V-10. In addition, when operating on hydrogen, the Tri-Flex V-10 generates 99% less CO2 emissions than when running on gasoline.

The engine features a dual injection system: one handling gasoline and E85, the other, developed with Quantum, the hydrogen. The F-250 Super Chief stores 11.2 kg of hydrogen in a 700-bar tank system.

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What a steaming pile of turd. Give me a diesel ford focus. Interesting it gets 12mpg. That is the goal Wal-mart has set for their OTR fleet. Way to go Ford. How many years do I get to work to pay for this thing?

I think you guys are missing the point here. This vehicle is showcasing the "tri-fuel" concept, and how it could apply to vehicles, flexibly using gas, ethanol or hydrogen. Of course, all these systems currently probably weigh more than a whole Focus, hence the need to showcase it in a large vehicle (miss the locomotive reference?). The important point here is the fact that all three of these fuels are used in one engine, and achieve an impressive emmission rating. Thats the message here, not mpg. Kudos to Ford.

Really? You think 12 mpg is respectable? 310hp and 576 NM of torque? The ford superduty with a Powerstroke is listed at 325hp and 800Nm of torque. I couldn't find the epa's rating for mileage, but looking around the web it seems when it is empty people can get about 30% more than 12mpg. Mark, I didn't miss the locomotive reference. I think you may have though, since I am sure you know what type of fuel locomotives burn.

I have a prediction: "The overwhelming majority of americans will be turned off by a vehicle that takes three different fuels. Turned off mostly by the price tag."

Investing in the technology of tomorrow has to start somewhere I know, but I get frustrated when we don't use the technology we have. I think someone could build a smaller truck (F-150) and put in a diesel motor half the size of the powerstroke and get 30mpg. I think people would line up to buy it, but no one is building a pickup like that (at least not here).

I guess we are not after the same things. I would rather have better economy, a smaller engine (with better performance), and a turbo. You presented these items like they were undesireable. I am just glad you didn't mention the 99% reduction in CO2. That would have shut me up, or at least had me stammering about lack of infrastructure, short range, blah blah blah. These are things that can be overcome.

I'm curious why a report on the Hydrogen Forecast and other places I've seen are claiming Ford has said the range can be 500 miles with any of these fuels. My guess is that means if instead of 2 tanks (or are there 3?) one liquid one gaseous, it was all hydrogen or all gasoline/E85 it could get 500 miles.

From hydrogen forecast...

"Ford claims the vehicle could travel 500 miles between fill-ups with any of these fuels."

Story here:
http://www.hydrogenforecast.com/ArticleDetails.php?articleID=284

The press release was a bit snarled with that one. It says "enabling the supercharged V-10 to run for 500 miles between fill-ups on hydrogen, E85 ethanol or gasoline."

What it *should* say is "enabling the supercharged V-10 to run for about 500 miles between fill-ups on hydrogen and gasoline and/or ethanol."

The combination of (hydrogen and ethanol) is stretching it. The two together would yield 391 miles in range. Gasoline and hydrogen yield 486 miles according to the specifications released with the vehicle. To hit 500, you'd need all three fuels.

Oks let me explain its a gasoline engine not a diesel so it will get lower fuel econ then a diesel DUH! It is however getting rather good fuel econ for a gas engine of its size pulling what its pulling.. a big truck.

The hydrogen is great for going into cities say in europe that require cars be that extra lower emissions or face fees. It also makes sense for light trucking where some places might have hydrogen some might have e85 and others just some other e or plain gas.

Oh and its not 3 tanks its 2 the gas-e85 tank you fill with anything from gasloine thru e5 e10 e20 to e85 and it adjusts. The 500 mile range is gasoline and hydrogen and very likely would improve in a production model as they likely would tune the engine more by then eeking out better econ AND expand the gas tank likely with a second gas tank.

Remember it IS a concept truck the production model is years away and will be very different.

"when operating on hydrogen, the Tri-Flex V-10 generates 99% less CO2 emissions than when running on gasoline."

Woohoo!! NO Fking sheet! Really....why would they write something like this to market their O'mighty Ford engine, any high school kids with abit of chemistry knowledge will know when you burn H2(hydrogen) and "Pure" Oxygen(O2) you make water, not CO2!!!

Why dont they just say this engine is 100% free of radioactive material, then any noob consumer will go woooooo I must fork out my 100k, refinance my house to get this truck.

I'm surprised that using a bit of the H2 injected into the normal gasoline combustion process doesn't serve to increase efficiency and provide better fuel economy. 12mpg really is pretty abysmal even for a large truck of this size and HP.

What is this, some Mad Max world we live in where one suburb's servos only deals in Hydrogen while others in Ethanol and gasoline?
The engineering feat of mating such technologies so you can concievably run all fuel types in one car is cool I guess. But aren't outlandish concept cars supposed to hint some way to the practical and subtle? Does Ford believe the future is going to be a mishmash of confusion about what fuel is going to be used or available to the public? Absurd.

the purpose of this engine is FLEX FUEL meaning you dont have to drive around at 13mpg of gasoline, you know why? because it can run on hydrogen... and hey guess what, hydrogen is free seeing as how you drink it everyday

The important thing is that it uses hydrogen and will start to wean us off of petro. The fact that it will run on 3 different fuels will help us slowly build the hydrogen fueling infrastructure. It is a step in the right direction. If Americans would realize that it is not practical to drive a 3 ton SUV to work with one person in it, then Ford would probably use another vehicle to demonstrate it, but we haven't gotten to that point as a society yet. Go watch An Inconvenient Truth and drag everyone you know with you. It may change some peoples lifestyles.